The World Photography Organisation today announces the winners of the 2013 Sony World Photography Open Competition. Representing the best single images in the competition’s ten categories, the winning images span countries as far apart as Chile to Vietnam and capture a range of subjects from the moment before a couple get married to the Mangystau night sky in Kazakhstan, and the ‘Fung Shun’ fire dragon dance in Southern China. These ten winning photographers now compete for the Sony World Photography Awards Open Photographer of the Year title, which will be revealed at a gala ceremony on 25th April. This photographer will also receive $5,000 (USD).

Selected from nearly 55,000 entries by amateur photographers across the world, the Open Competition category winners are:

“Amateurs constantly amaze me,” says Damien Demolder, Presiding Chair of Jury for the Open Competition and Editor of Amateur Photographer magazine, “not only with their determination, their passion and their internal drive, but also with the astonishing quality they are capable of achieving.”

All category winners will receive a Sony A77 and will have their images exhibited at Somerset House, London, from 26 April – 12 May as part of the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition. The photographs will also be published in the 2013 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards book.